


Ring Around the Moon

by tehhumi



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M, Gen, Post-Darkening of Valinor, Tangling the Finwean family tree even more, Valinor, headcanons, the people left behind while everyone else sails off to war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-26 15:29:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17144342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tehhumi/pseuds/tehhumi
Summary: Being engaged to a prince of the Noldor was not in fact the sum of Amarie's life.Finwe was not the only Noldo to ever remarry, just the first and with the least subtlety.





	Ring Around the Moon

Anairë sighed as she sat with Nolofinwe and watched Irisse play.  They had been growing apart for years, as Nolofinwe became more and more focused on following his father. Irisse, born after her both her brothers had come of age, had been an attempt to recapture the way Anairë and Nolo had felt at the start of their marriage. Anairë could not bring herself to regret that, not when it had led to such a joyful, beautiful daughter.

“We have very wonderful children.”

Nolofinwe turned to face her. “We do.  But it’s not enough is it?  You still don’t want to stay.”

“We want different things. You want to help your father govern Tirion.  You love the work, and are quite skilled at it, and I wouldn’t make you give it up. I feel a strong pull towards the Trees though. I want to live near them, and see what a Noldo can discover about them.”

 “You can wait for a while though, can’t you?”

“Of course! When Irisse’s grown will be soon enough.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The years pass.  Melkor is released and, just before Irisse comes of age, moves to Tirion. Anairë worries a little, but the Valar have, after all, said that Melkor is safe.  She goes to Valmar, and studies the Trees, fascinated by how they wax and wane.  After a few years, she gets tired of everyone calling her ‘that Noldo’ and dies her hair blond to make people learn her name.  The Vanyarin accent changes the consonant and adds a syllable, but it’s still recognizably her name. She goes to Tirion to visit her husband and children on their begetting days - though she avoids court appearances that would lead to rumors of ‘Nolofinwe and a Vanya woman’ -  and they come to Valmar for hers.

Feanaro comes to Valmar a decade later.  He has a whole lot of scientific questions about the Trees, and everyone directs him to ‘Amairie’. She’s not surprised that he doesn’t recognize her. She is surprised at how good it feels to collaborate with someone who wants to talk about how the Trees work, not just why Yavanna made them, like all the Vanyar do.  He makes his own observations, seeming more focused on how the Trees have light in the first place than the cycle of it (but then, males rarely pay attention to cycles).  After a few years, Feanaro returns to Tirion. 

Irisse reports with great amusement that Feanaro had admitted at one state dinner he was wrong.  It was unfair to claim all the Vanyar were as stupid as Indis, for while he was in Valmar he had met one who actually understood proper experimental procedures.  Indis was an unworthy queen all on her own merits.  Finwe had told Nolofinwe later in private that this might be a step forward, and soon Feanaro would admit that his half-siblings were not stupid either.

Anairë brings up with Nolofinwe that she has missed collaborating on scientific projects – “I enjoyed working with _Feanaro_ , the solitude must be getting to me” – and asks if it would be awkward if she traveled to Tirion more often.  Neither of them feels any more than friendship for each other, but if the Prince’s wife is in town, she will be expected to play the part.  She decides to go by Amarie, as the Vanya have been calling her. She will be a Vanya woman coming to study alongside the engineers of the Eldar. 

Feanaro actually writes a brief introductory letter for her when asked, as all her credentials among the Noldor are under a name she wishes to be free of.  The letter merely says that she is “adequately competent at basic mathematical and laboratory procedures,” but, from Feanaro, is considered high praise.  She counts breaths and tracks the pattern of the light on the floor, so she can be sure her timing is exact from day to day. She develops a gearing pattern that will empty a bucket once every hour, day, or week, depending on where the lever is set, which many use for gardens.  She still spends time in Valmar, but more to witness the Trees than to observe them.  She writes poems about the Trees, and about her water buckets, and about the tides.  She has dinner with her husband at her children’s begetting days, and with her children every few weeks. They find it great fun to be part of a secret.

Feanaro reveals the Silmarils, and makes no mention of Amarie.  She didn’t expect it, as they had been more coworkers than collaborators.  However, she argues the point strongly whenever anyone claims that Feanaro is the most knowledgeable about the Trees among the Eldar.  

After a few years, Nolofinwe and Amarie have a discussion about obligations and freedoms.  They come to the conclusion that they don’t consider themselves married any more, and neither will stand in each other’s way if they wish to pursue another. 

The years go by. Turukáno marries.  Anairë darkens her hair and puts on exquisitely Noldorin dress and the wife of Prince Nolofinwe returns.  Everyone’s focused on the crown prince, as he wears the Silmarils on his brow and refuses to acknowledge the man getting married as his nephew.  No one spares much thought for the mother of the groom, or her past whereabouts. 

Anairë sees Findarato at the wedding for the first time in decades – Arafinwe raised all his children in Alqualondë, and Findarato has explored the shores of Belegaer rather than dwell in Tirion. Anairë has not seen him at all since she went to Valmar, and he has grown into a handsome ellon.  She seeks him out later in the week, as Amarie rather than Anairë, before he sets out on his next trip. It comes up that he has never been to Valmar, and Amarie offers to travel with him whenever he wishes to go.

Findarato and Amarie travel to Valmar the next summer.  She shows him the Trees and when she starts to explain her work, he makes the connection to the tides immediately. She, seen as Vanya in Tirion and Noldo in Valmar – she tells Findarato that much on the journey out – relates greatly to the Telerin Vanyarin Prince of the Noldor. She is falling in love, and he is too.

It’s on the way back to Tirion that she tells him the full story. They’re several days ride outside Valmar, and whatever reaction he has will not be witnessed by the Vanyar or the Noldor. Better to tell him now, before any promises are made.

Findarato, after the initial surprise and establishing what Nolofinwe knows (he knows that Amarie is dating again, not that she’s dating his nephew) actually takes it remarkably well.  He loves her, she loves him, the future will sort itself out.

When they get back to the city, Amarie tells Nolofinwe about Findarato. He takes it less well – “Could you not find anyone _not_ in the house of Finwe to court?” – but eventually comes around. He insists, though, that their children should know. Findarato is reluctant because he thinks Turukáno will make fun of him.  Turukáno does, mercilessly, but only in private. 

Turukáno and his wife Elenwe – who knows of Anairë’s second life, after all family dinners would be quite difficult otherwise – have a daughter, and name her Itarillë. Earwen and Arafinwe ask Findarato why he didn’t bring that girl he’s seeing to the essecarme, and why they haven’t met her.  Findarato makes excuses about Amarie’s studies in Valmar.

Findarato doesn’t want to keep his almost-fiancé’s identity a secret from his parents. Amarie agrees that it would shortly turn into a farce.  They have a meet-the-parents dinner in Alqualondë, and Earwen recognizes Anairë. After establishing that no, she’s not cheating on Nolofinwe, calm the heck down Arafinwe, it goes well except for Earwen frequently breaking down into giggles. 

Arafinwe rides off to Tirion the next morning.  He asks Nolofinwe why he didn’t tell him, how long has this been going on, who else knows, is Amarie good enough for Findarato, why did Nolofinwe and Amarie break up.  He calms down a bit after getting confirmation from Nolofinwe that this only started recently, and that the parting was mostly due to Amarie’s desire to learn new things in new places conflicting with Nolofinwe’s heart remaining in Tirion. 'Too little wanderlust' has never been one of Findarato's problems. 

Findarato and Amarie start planning a wedding, either in two years or three. Technically, the Valar have forbidden a man from having two living wives, but said nothing about a woman having two living husbands.  The reasoning won’t hold up if the Valar notice, but it’s enough that the marriage will be legal. And the Valar will only notice if Amarie, Findarato, or Nolofinwe dies, and how likely is that to happen?

 

Then Feanaro holds a sword to his brother’s throat, and death seems a lot closer.

 

The wedding is put off until after Feanor’s exile is over – if he reconciles with Nolofinwe, that is.

Melkor is exposed as a liar, and the wedding is put off indefinitely.

The Darkening, and Finwe’s death, and the theft of the Silmarils.  Amarie volunteers all she knows about the Trees, but it’s not enough to bring them back.  She makes dozens more of her watering-gears instead, and people use them to mark the passage of time.  The movement of the stars also does so, but only the Teleri have studied that.

Feanaro rallies the Noldor around him, to fight Melkor and leave Aman. 

Nolofinwe follows his brother, as always. 

Findarato goes as well.  It will be a new land, one none has ever seen before.  And he still believes he can balance against Feanaro, even if everyone else has given up.

Amarie does not go with them.  She knows the most after Yavanna herself about the Trees, and will stay until a way to light the world again is found.  Then she will cross, and she and Findarato will travel Endore together, far from the gossip in Tirion and Valmar, accountable to none but each other.  Besides, King Ingwe has forbidden the Vanyar from going, but given time – time without Feanaro speaking blasphemy and anger – his temper may cool. And if Amarie wants to pass as a Vanya, she has to obey the Vanyarin king.

Word comes from Alqualondë of the Kinslaying. Amarie goes to comfort Earwen, as possibly the only resident of Tirion who will still be welcome in the city on the coast. When a much smaller group than let Tirion returns along the coast, Amarie and Earwen go out to meet them, and learn what they can. Arafinwe has retreated, but the rest of the House of Finwe continued on, and is under a terrible Doom.

Amarie would have gone from the start if she had known the other option was to abandon her love and her children and her husband.  She doesn’t condemn Arafinwe out loud for his choice.

Earwen soon travels to Tirion with Arafinwe, who rules alongside his sister, as the only ones left of Finwe’s house on these shores.  Amarie follows, though the city is near empty.  The ones who remain are parents with children too young to make the journey, those too pious to leave against the council of the Valar, and those who like Amarie felt their work in Aman was not yet done. (There are also those who returned with Arafinwe, who are a mix of pious and dutiful and cowardly – not that anyone says the last out loud, but after all they only turned back because of the Doom.)

The Falmari spot a fire on the distant shore, and King Olwe mentions it to Arafinwe, but there is no other news

True to Namo’s decree, they receive no word from those who leave.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

They had known, from tales of the Great Journey and from Miriel and Finwe, that a married elf felt when their spouse died.  The attack on Alqualondë had provided a very grim demonstration for the Noldor and Falmari both. Soon they learn that even the Great Sea is not enough to prevent this. Feanaro dies, alongside some who had gone with him to Formenos. Some who are part of Nolofinwe’s host – or were when Arafinwe left them, at least – die as well, one by one. 

Yavanna creates the Moon and Sun.  Amarie helped figure out the phases of the moon, and the length of days to keep things from getting to warm or too cold. Findis declares that her youngest brother can rule their people without her, the darkest time has passed, and goes to live with her mother Indis in Valmar. He goes by Prince Arafinwe, Lord of Tirion, as the kingship is, by ancient custom from beside Curuvien, still Nolofinwe’s.

Prince Arafinwe makes a plan for formal reparations to the people of Alqualondë, beyond the apology he had made at his return from Araman. It will be difficult, but the remaining Noldor throw themselves into the work to put aside thoughts of their missing kin.

Anaire attends court alongside Arafinwe. She is the wife of the king after all, which makes her queen, or at least the best available with Indis in Valmar. She keeps people’s spirits up, mostly by being another member of the royal family who is visibly alive and has not abandoned them.

The Teleri who were killed at Alqualondë begin to return, stumbling confusedly from the halls of Mandos into the countryside near Valmar.  It is agreed that there should established a place for them to get food and clothing closer to Mandos, with a watch to notify kin and to explain what they have missed.  King Olwe and King Ingwe agree to coordinate the watchers from among their people – all agree a Noldo will not be a welcoming sight to those exiting the Halls. Arafinwe sends craftspeople to aid in building the refuge, but all return to Tirion once it is built. Amarie suggest a signal to indicate which kindred the returned elf is from; the bell tolls thrice at each returned Teler.

Prince Arafinwe keeps a list of all the known dead, at Aqualonde and after. There is also a list of all those whose fate can’t be known, as they were unmarried or their spouse departed with them; this list is over ten times as long. The remaining Noldor in Tirion puzzle out what they can, speculatively marking battles (or perhaps plagues, they have no way of telling) and alliances based off who died when.  If they can figure out who died alongside who, perhaps they can know who is still among the living. 

More die across the sea, one at a time or all at once. They learn that even in Aman, it is possible to die of grief, if your spouse is dead and Doomed to remain so.  Amarie clings to the fact that Nolofinwe lives, and he would give his own life to keep their children safe.  There is no other way to guess what became of her children, and no way at all to know what became of Findarato, but it is still more surety than most have.

Nerdanel refuses any tittles, and makes sculptures of her family. When she finishes, she makes sculptures of the dead – Noldor only, “The Teleri can see their loved one’s faces whenever they wish.”

The Noldor develop mourning traditions – they hadn’t needed them before. The spouse of the deceased wears no jewelry, and their other loved ones wear no color, for twelve years of the Sun.  The harvest festivals, when they gather the year’s bounty in before the cold can kill it, recall the harvest festival during which King Finwe died, and all the deaths that followed.  Midwinter’s night becomes the Night of the Missing, telling stories on the longest night of the year of those who were last seen on the dreadful Longest Night and whose fate is unknown.

Amarie designs mechanical clocks, which will count for months without being wound, and will mark the days and weeks as well as the hours.  One is built on a tower near the next the palace in Tirion. It has a face of glass and hands of ruby, sapphire, and topaz. It is near blinding to look at on a sunny day, but even on a cloudy moonless night, one candle is enough for the whole city to read it. Many Noldor get clocks of their own. The Vanyar do not see the need for a backup to the Valar’s timekeeping system, and the Teleri still have the stars.

Nearly every household in Tirion has a stash of torches and a tinderbox that they can find their way to blindfolded.

Amarie gets together with others in Tirion to worry. She goes as Queen Anaire, worried over her husband and her children and her granddaughter. She speaks with others as Amarie, worried over her fiancé Findarato. Earwen hears all her fears.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Two hundred years after the Sun was made, at a private luncheon for the three near-queens of the Noldor – or the three people bold or foolish enough to love Finwe’s sons, or the three women who kept their husbands from burning the city down – Anaire snaps. “This is foolish.”

Earwen: “What is?”

Anaire: “Hiding part of my grief. You already know, and I don’t want to lie to Nerdanel anymore. Besides,” she said, turning to the red-headed nisse, “I rather doubt you’re going to judge me for my choice of partner.”

Nerdanel: “I suppose I am rather ill-positioned to do so.”

Earwen: “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

Anaire: “Oh, I’m not going to tell the whole city, but Nerdanel deserves to know, as we sit here avoiding thinking of our children together.”

Perhaps before the Darkening Nerdanel would have been scandalized, at the concept of remarriage, or how much younger Findarato is, or Findarato being Anaire’s nephew-in-law.  But now she simply asks who else knows, and what Anaire and Findarato they're going to tell any children they have.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Nolofinwe dies. Amarie dresses as the widow of a prince of the Noldor, and goes to tell his brother and sister.  They are likely the last of their siblings, though Irime’s fate can’t be known since her husband died at Alqualondë. 

Enough others die alongside Nolofinwe that they mark another probable battle.

Arafinwe is crowned High King of the Noldor.  Everyone is still a bit skittish of festivals with the whole kingdom together, and no one is in the mood for one anyway after the Battle of King Nolofinwe. There is a small solemn ceremony; King Ingwe and King Olwe come to Tirion to witness it and officially greet the new king.

Almost everyone left dies a few years later, in the worst battle yet. There are now only a few hundred confirmed alive, though some of them are Turukáno’s friends, and Amarie holds onto hope for her children.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Findarato is the first to emerge from Mandos in nearly four centuries, and the first Noldo to emerge at all. The Vanya who is keeping watch is quite startled; the waystation from Mandos had fallen into use as a meditation retreat.  They give him food and clothing, and send a message to Tirion informing King Arafinwe of his son’s return. (When asked his name he replied “Aran Finrod Felagund – no, I apologize, that’s the Sindarin. Prince Findarato Ingoldo of the Noldor.”)

This is of course, also the first any have heard of Findarato’s death.  No one is quite sure whether they should mourn his death or rejoice at his return to them. 

Findarato is greeted, and hugged, by his parents and fiancée on the road between Valmar and Tirion. He had set out not long after the message had been sent, but Valinor had developed a system for passing messages over long distances quickly, and he was on foot.  Findarato reassured them that the Vanyar had not kicked him out, he had simply not desired to stay any longer. Yes, he knew the journey was far on foot, but there were no orcs in Valinor, and he could live off the land quite well.

Amrie, Earwen, and Arafinwe are all dressed in undyed cloth.  Amarie is wearing no jewelry, which everyone (except Findarato) who sees her will take as a declaration that she is married as much as a ring. Findarato also has no jewelry, but that is because the waystation is stocked only with basic apparel.  He has, however, a simple stone tipped spear, which he had been using as walking stick.  “It’s quite useful for hunting, and walking as well, and I had no idea how much of Valinor would look on me as a kinslayer.”

Arafinwe: “None, for you were not after all involved in the fighting.”

Finrod: “True, but I was willing to take sail on those bloodstained ships. Not that I got the chance to.”

Arafinwe: “What do you mean? Did you die before leaving Aman? They said you’d acquired two epesse’s in your time away, that seems quite fast.”

Finrod: “What? No, Feanaro burned the ships in an attempt to strand us.  How have you not heard this, it happened centuries ago?”

Amarie: “You are the first of the Noldor to return. Those who are married know if their spouse yet lives. We have had no other news of what happens to those who left since the Doom was spoken and your father turned back.”

Finrod is shocked. “Truly the first?  The Vanyar said so, but I had thought they meant the first of the royal family, or the first of those who survived the Grinding Ice.”

Arafinwe: “ _‘Not even the echoes of your lamentations shall pass over the mountains.’_   Namo kept his word.  When you have recovered your strength, many would appreciate any news you can give them of their loved ones, whether good or ill.  You mother and I would particularly like to know about Angarato and Aikanaro and Artanis.”

Finrod: “– I can only give news up to my own death, and I know not how long I dwelt in the Halls of Mandos.”

Amarie: “That’s easy enough to figure out. We added a calendar with the creation of the Sun and Moon, and have taken to counting in years of the Sun as well as years of the Trees. How have you been marking time over there?  It can’t be too ridiculous; we know Feanaro died before the rising of the Sun.”

Finrod latches on to a topic of conversation that isn’t how his brothers died. “We’ve been using the years of the Sun alone, as the days appear to have changed length as well. We count from the first sunrise.”

Amarie: “Good, they should be the same. Give me the year of a major battle to check, we have had some knowledge of those.” She rummages in her bag for the calendar which has dates, names who died then, and extrapolated total casualties when several people died.

Finrod: “The Dagor Aglareb was in the year 60.”

Amarie: “We have a few dead recorded then, but we were unsure until now if it was just noise. This is year 515 of the Sun, or 1553 of the Trees.”

Finrod: “Then any news I bring will be fifty years of the Sun out of date.  I can tell you with certainty who has died, but those who were alive when I last saw them may not be.”

 Earwen: “Still it will be more recent than we have heard. Come, sit with us. We thought it likely we’d encounter you on the road, and I brought cakes and things for a picnic.”

It’s a rather awkward meal, though the food is indeed delicious.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this fic came about because Tolkien didn't come up with distinct enough names for his female characters.  
> Admire my restraint in not titling this Anaire|Amarie.


End file.
